Field Staff

Joe Mikulik - Manager

Mikulik enters his second season with the Texas organization and first as the Manager of the Pelicans. He spent 2013 as the Outfield Instructor, returning to his native Texas after 13 years with the Colorado Rockies as a manager with Low-A Asheville in South Atlantic League.

In his 13-year run as Asheville manager, Mikulik compiled the most wins of any manager in Asheville history and was named the South Atlantic League Manager of the Year in 2007. Prior to joining the Colorado organization, he spent the 1999 season as Houston's minor league baserunning and outfield coordinator. He began his coaching career in the Cleveland organization as a player/coach at Double-A Canton-Akron in 1995 and later managed rookie-level Burlington in 1997 and 1998.

Mikulik was Houston's ninth round selection in the 1984 June Draft and played for 12 years in the Astros organization, rising to Triple-A Tuscon. He played his entire career in the Astros organization except for 109 games with Tabasco, Mexico in 1994 and winter ball in Venezuela and Mexico. He made all-star teams for the South Atlantic League (1985), Mexican League (1989), and Texas League (1991). Mikulik played college baseball at San Jacinto Junior College in Pasadena, TX.

Mikulik has two children, Susan and Dawson, and lives with fiance Candy in Keller. His daughter, Susan, married current Los Angeles Angels third baseman Ian Stewart in 2006.

Josue Perez - Hitting Coach

Perez begins his ninth season with the Rangers organization and second as the Myrtle Beach's hitting coach.

He held the same position with Hickory in 2012 when the Crawdads produced the 3rd-most runs (706) in the 14-team South Atlantic League, while also ranking among the leaders in home runs (2nd, 117) and doubles (3rd, 268). Perez spent three seasons with Short-A Spokane from 2009-2011 and served as the hitting coach for the rookie league Rangers in 2008. He originally joined Texas as a manager for the Dominican Summer League Rangers from 2006-07, leading the young group of international prospects to a 35-34 record in 2007 and a 21-44 mark in 2006.

Perez joined the coaching ranks after playing professionally for eight seasons in the Los Angeles-NL, Philadelphia and Texas organizations.

He ended his career in 2005, splitting playing time between both Single-A Bakersfield and Arizona in the Rangers farm system. Perez was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on March 27, 1998. He was named the Phillies ninth-best prospect following the 1999 season. In 484 career minor league games, he batted .259 (441-1701) with 12 home runs.

A native of Havana, Cuba, Perez resides in New York, NY. He has two children, daughter Alannys and son Brian.

Steve Mintz - Pitching Coach

Mintz enters his second season in the Texas organization, and second as the Pelicans Pitching Coach, after 11 seasons with the Minnesota Twins organization.

He was a pitching coach at various levels within the Minnesota organization, finishing with a stop with the High-A Fort Myers Miracle from 2009-12. Prior to Ft. Myers, Mintz was a pitching coach with New Britain (2008), Beloit (2006-07), and the GCL Twins (2002-05). He also spent the 2008 offseason in the Arizona Fall League as a pitching coach for the Mesa Solar Sox. Mintz began his coaching career in 2001 with Anaheim, working as pitching coach for the organization's short season clubs following his retirement midway through the campaign.

Mintz pitched professionally for 12 seasons with Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Anaheim after he was originally drafted as a catcher by the Dodgers in the 1990 June Draft. He made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on May 18, 1995 and recorded his first career win on June 14, 1995 at Chicago-NL.

Mintz resides in Leland, NC with his wife, Cathi. They have three children, Abby, Hunter, and Jacob.

Ryan Leake - Coach

Leake makes his professional coaching debut with Myrtle Beach this season. He joins Texas after two seasons at Santa Clara University as an assistant coach and athletic performance coordinator. Leake has extensive experience as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at the college level, including stops at University of California-San Diego (2009-11), University of Sioux Falls (2008), and Palomar College. While at UCSD, Leake oversaw a pitching staff that produced six all-conference performers, five all-west region members, and two All-Americans as the team made back-to-back Division II College World Series appearances in 2009 and 2010. Leake played collegiately at the University of Nevada, Reno, earning all-conference honors in 2005. He finished his career as the program's leader in saves and appearances.

In 2006 and 2007, Leake played overseas with the Tranas Cranes of the Swedish Elite Series. As a starting pitcher and shortstop, Leake was twice named a league all-star and led the Cranes to consecutive playoff appearances.

His brother, Mike, is a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds.

Jacob Newburn - Athletic Trainer

Newburn begins his ninth season as a trainer in the Texas organization and his first with Myrtle Beach.

Prior to joining the Rangers organization in 2006, Newburn worked as a graduate intern in the University of Nevada - Las Vegas (UNLV) athletic department and maintained responsibilities with the baseball, swimming and tennis programs.

He is a 2004 graduate of the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Athletic Training. He also interned with the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders in the summer of 2003. The Richardson, Texas, native graduated from Berkner High School in 2000.

Anthony Miller - Strength & Conditioning Coach

Miller begins his fourth season with the Texas organization as a strength and conditioning coach and second with Myrtle Beach. Prior to joining the Pelicans, Miller spent his first two seasons in the organization with the Class-A Hickory Crawdads.

He spent the 2010 campaign in the same capacity with Class A-Short Season Yakima in the Arizona system. He began his career in professional baseball as a strength and conditioning coach with the Minnesota organization, serving at High-A Ft. Myers in 2008 and Double-A New Britain in 2009.

Miller graduated from Wartburg College (Waverly, IA) in 2006 where he was a member of the track team. He is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). Miller resides in Bristow, IA.